Taylor Swift was Time Magazine‘s 2023 Person of the Year. Cheers to the pop sensation with our Shake Up the Lover Cocktail. We’re having a little fun with some concert-themed cocktail creations over the summer! First up, Taylor Swift!
Pop sensation Taylor Swift has taken a generation by storm. Don’t let the incredibly personal, poetic stories of heartbreak fool you. She may sing about her misfortunes with love, but this fierce singer-songwriter stands tall and confident on stages all over the world with red-painted lips representative of her passion for entertaining and the love she has for her fans, for life, and for helping others.
Her fanbase shares her sentiments. That base continues to grow in loyalty and number, perhaps because she uses her platform to give back.
What Inspired Our Taylor Swift Cocktail
It has been reported that, during her ‘Eras Tour,’ Taylor is quietly making generous donations to food poverty charities along the way. It’s this altruistic nature that inspires our tall Taylor Swift-themed cocktail topped with sweet sugar petals and red raspberry. Our drink’s title takes its name from “Lover” and “Shake It Off,” two of Taylor’s biggest hits.
There’s nothing better than a simple dish that’s flavorful and easy to make! These are the recipes we lean into during a busy week…and also during the jam-packed holiday season.
Chef Jackie Page’s side dish recipes bring comfort food to your home table. They let your entrée shine while providing a blend of flavors your guests will relish. In addition to flavor, these dishes please the eye, too! Your guests will be raving about the look and the taste. Is your stomach rumbling yet?
Ditch that traditional casserole made with canned green beans for Jackie’s Green Bean Casserole. This recipe uses all fresh ingredients and is presented in a more deconstructed manner. Its vegetable crunch and scratch-kitchen flavors elevate this traditional dish to an all time high.
Thick slices of sweet potato drizzled with butter and baking spices. A half hour in the oven. What do you get? Delicious Sweet Potato Stacks, a side dish with earthy undertones, a bit of natural sweetness, and an aroma that can’t be beat.
Unlike many recipes you may have tried, this Corn Pudding Cakes recipe eliminates added sugar to let the sweetness of the corn shine through. Just the right combination of flour, cornmeal, and egg, creates a firm bake that holds its shape well enough to use cookie cutters for fun shapes.
There are over 150 species of roses, but none more suitable or more appreciated at the holiday table than Bacon Potato Roses. Limited cultivation and rapid maturation, otherwise known as few ingredients and a short cooking time, yield a “floral” centerpiece with an alluring aroma.
Easily served as a elegant starter — or as a main dish alongside a salad of winter greens — this Pear and Goat Cheese Bites recipe combines warm, crispy phyllo, an indulgent filling, and a drizzle of hot honey. Beware! You’ll have trouble limiting yourself to just one.
Easy to make as a holiday side dish or as a weeknight main course, this stuffed butternut squash recipe is rich with flavor. Cranberries and pecans bring a bit of winter sparkle to a base of squash and sausage. Feta adds a hit of umami. Served piping hot with a glass of rosé, the overall flavor profile is greater than the sum of its parts.
Recipe by Chef Jackie Page / Styling by Anna Franklin / Photography by Dave Bryce
Do you enjoy savory or sweet winter flavors? Are you craving a healthy salad of winter greens, fresh fruits, and spiced dressings…or decadent treats with sweet notes of sugar, peppermint, vanilla, chocolate, and cranberry? Either way, you’re in luck: local eateries have prepared choices full of December cheer. Enjoy these intriguing seasonal menu updates from your favorite Pittsburgh restaurants but act fast: they will only be available for a limited time.
Enjoy all your favorite winter flavors in cocktail form. Four of them, in fact, each one designed to keep you feeling holly-jolly. The Cranberry Pomosa combines cranberry pomegranate simple syrup and Prosecco. For a sophisticated grown-up treat, the Peppermint Mocha Espresso deploys Martini Boyd and Blair Vodka, Maggie’s Farm Coffee Liquor, Averna Amaro, peppermint, mocha, and espresso. The Honey Sage Sour features MLH Spiced Rum, Smoked Tea Liqueur, sage honey, lemon, and red wine. The Ginger All The Way is made from Teremana Blanco, blood orange, lemon, lime, Maggie’s Farm Falernum (always a TABLE favorite), ginger hot honey, and pink peppercorn.
Step in to Square Cafe for a comforting dining experience. Start with The Grinch Latte, which is a green tea matcha latte steamed with oat milk, peppermint, vanilla, and topped with festive green and red sprinkles. If you’d prefer a more classic option, order the French Vanilla Mocha made with vanilla, hazelnut, and dark chocolate brewed with espresso. Want a beverage with a spike? The Winter Mimosa and Ginger-Cranberry Punch both incorporate cranberry and pomegranate in unique ways. Don’t forget to grab a bite to eat before you head back into the cold. A perennial ‘Burgh favorite, Turkey Devonshire, combines roasted turkey, tomatoes, bacon, and béchamel sauce on sourdough bread. If sweet rather than savory is your jam, order up the Banana Chocolate Hazelnut Pancakes filled with chocolate chips then topped with fried bananas, powdered sugar, and a drizzle of chocolate hazelnut sauce.
Celebrate the holiday season with Syrian flavors at Kahlil’s. Dive into traditional dishes like Mowzat, a fall-off-the-bone lamb shank in a savory tomato sauce served over Khalil’s signature Syrian rice. Three specialty cocktails also incorporate Syrian notes. Christmas In Bethlehem is made with arak, amaretto, rosé, and almond, while The Star In The East features arak, jallab, date, rum, vanilla, and almond. Then Winter Holiday cocktail is a combination of all things merry and bright: mint, cucumber vodka, cranberry, and berry.
This respected and beloved North Side restaurant puts a festive twist on holiday dining. Order a Relish Tray that includes pickles and olives, or their signature Cheeseball for sharing around the table. Keep the party going with Borek, Meatballs, and Deviled Eggs.
For a very special night out on December 23, reserve a spot at 40 North’s Christmas Eve’s Eve Party with a prix fixe menu. Chef Bethany Zozula is planning to cook up a storm, and if that’s not worth venturing out, what is?
The new dumpling menu at Ritual House is perfect for share among a tableful of friends and family. It includes Pork Street Dumplings with chili honey sauce, shaved scallions, and sweet peppers, as well as Spinach Edamame Dumplings with kimchi and Thai basil oil. Beyond dumplings, the kitchen is cooking up decadent holiday dishes like Crab Fondue with blue crab, Humboldt Fog goat cheese, parmesan, and asiago; Chilean Sea Bass with butternut squash puree, prosciutto bacon, and sage Meunière sauce; and Sous Vide Beef Short Rib topped with a Burgundy wine demiglace and served with pearl onions, carrots, and parmesan grits. Also on the must-try list: eccentric cocktails. The Mistletoe Martini includes vodka, cranberry, lime, and rosemary, while the Caramel Hot Chocolate is crafted with vanilla vodka, amaretto, chocolate liqueur, and caramel.
Get your winter daily serving of veggies at Eat Your Vegetables Restaurant. Start with a Jingle Beet Rock made of Beet Infused Vodka, Fernet Branca, Cabernet, Garam Masala Cumin Syrup, and Peyschauds. Also on offer the Krampus 2: The Reckoning, which combines Blanco Tequila, cranberry juice, Cointreau, and fig. To continue the fruit-and-veggie forward trend: Or, try the Grow a Pear mixed from gin, Averna, Montenegro, spiced pear, orange, and lime. Finish it all off with a Cinnamon Oat Punch Rum filled with vegan egg nog, vanilla bean syrup, Frangelico, and nutmeg.
Once you’ve had your festive sipper, move on to a warming West African Pumpkin Soup with shrimp chips, bitter greens relish, and peanuts. Or, take part in a Potato Mille Feuille topped with warm bacon dressing, wilted Fiolaro leaf broccoli, and roasted pork belly. While you’re enjoying yourself, try the Heirloom Radish Stuffed Bao Buns with Shitake Mushroom. Finish your repast with a Spiced Apple Tart served with dried plum ice cream, walnut streusel, and vanilla sour cream.
Seasonal menu items from Station are made with locally sourced ingredients. Taste the farm-to-table goodness of Chef Curtis Gamble’s Celery Root Soup with caramelized onion, crispy oats, and shallot powder. Then order an entrée of Crispy Duck Confit with broccoli rabe, red cabbage puree, mustard green spaetzle, and fig mostarda. Or perhaps you’d prefer the Braised Short Rib with English Pea Royale, steak fries, maitake mushroom, roasted shallot, and natural jus.
The restaurant also has a long list of new drinks available including Sweater Weather featuring Old Grandad, Five Saints Blood Orange, cinnamon, and maple; We Don’t Have Espresso featuring Smith and Cross Rum, Maggie’s Farm Coffee, and Averna Amaro; Give It A Chai with Rittenhouse rye, Chazalettes Di Torino, and chai; Meet Me Under The Mistletoe with Lunazul Reposado, cranberry reduction, rosemary, and citrus; and Peace Among The Chaos featuring Sibona chamomile, Arte Latino Cava, thyme, and cinnamon.
Have Christmas Day dinner a little early this year with The Commoner’s course prix fixe meal. The menu begins with an Artisan Greens Salad topped with shaved apples, dried fruits, and tarragon vinaigrette. The main course is Roasted Prime Rib with black truffle jus served with castron mushroom lasagne, Robuchon-style potatoes, maple glazed baby carrots, and fried Brussels sprouts with pecan praline. Dessert follows with a Dark Chocolate Ganache with banana, bitter orange, and Nutella cake. Accompany your feast with a Sugar Weather cocktail made with Diplomatico Mantuano, Laird’s Apple, yuzu Curacao, balsam, maple, and milk wash.
Easily served as a elegant starter — or as a main dish alongside a salad of winter greens — this Pear and Goat Cheese Bites recipe combines warm, crispy phyllo, an indulgent filling, and a drizzle of hot honey. But, beware! You’ll have trouble limiting yourself to just one. We also recommend sipping a glass of chilled, mineral-inflected rosé as a companion to this lovely dish.
What Makes Bartlett Pears Different?
Bartlett pears are a popular variety known for their juicy, sweet flavor and soft, buttery texture. These are the pears you usually see advertised through television and on the shelves at the grocery store. They are typically harvested in late summer and early fall so you’ll want to mark this time on your calendar in case you hope to use fresh pears in this recipe. Unlike other pear varieties, Bartlett pears ripen after they are picked, so it’s important to choose pears that are firm but not rock-hard. As they ripen, they become softer and sweeter.
Unlike many recipes you may have tried, this Corn Pudding Cakes recipe eliminates added sugar to let the sweetness of the corn shine through. Just the right combination of flour, cornmeal, and egg, creates a firm bake that holds its shape well enough to use cookie cutters for fun shapes, or a biscuit cutter for classic round cakes. A bonus to cutting out shapes: you’re free to nibble on the scraps while you finish prepping and cooking the rest of the holiday meal. That’s a win!
Can You Make This Recipe Vegan?
Yes, this recipe can absolutely be made vegan with a few simple substitutions! Most cans of creamed corn are already vegan but it doesn’t hurt to check the label of the can you’re buying just to be safe. You can then swap the regular milk in the recipe for any unsweetened plant-based milk like almond, soy, oat, or cashew milk. For the melted butter, just use the same amount of melted vegan butter. The change that is going to make the most difference here are the eggs. For 2 eggs, you can use two “flax eggs” (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal mixed with 6 tablespoons water), a commercial egg replacer according to package directions, or about 1/2 cup of pureed silken tofu for moisture and binding.
Thick slices of sweet potato drizzled with butter and baking spices. A half hour in the oven. What do you get? Delicious Sweet Potato Stacks, a side dish with earthy undertones, a bit of natural sweetness, and an aroma that can’t be beat. It’s a perfectly simple side dish for ham and poultry which comes together quickly, leaving you free to mingle with your holiday dinner guests.
Ditch that traditional casserole made with canned green beans for Jackie’s Green Bean Casserole. This recipe uses all fresh ingredients and is presented in a more deconstructed manner. Its vegetable crunch and scratch-kitchen flavors elevate this traditional dish to an all time high. It’s a holiday side you can feel good about offering your guests, and one you’ll make for yourself after the holidays wind down.
Music? Check. Driving companion? Check. Destination? Well, we’ll see about that.
The humble state of Ohio has always held a special place in my heart. I spent my four, glorious collegiate years in what I still lovingly refer to as “Middle of Nowhere,” Ohio. While I was surprised to find myself in a town of 5,000 residents, guarded by miles and miles (and miles) of cornfields, I discovered that life lived at a slower place has its own charm.
Taking a road trip through Ohio is about the journey, not the destination. It’s about eating at hole-in-the-wall-diners, meandering through backroads dotted with barns, and (safely) overtaking horse-drawn buggies.
If you hop in the car and let chance take you on a tour of the state, you’ll probably discover that getting lost without cell service turns new friends into best friends; “Service with a Smile” isn’t just a phrase, but a mantra for how business is conducted; and even ice cream tastes sweeter when enjoyed at a slower pace.
Centralized in the Northeast corner of the state, all of these spots are easily accessible from Cleveland, Columbus, and Pittsburgh.
This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it bakery is located on a small dirt road (off another small dirt road) in Millersburg, Ohio. Follow the hand-painted signs, and enter a world of freshly-baked bread and apple fritters the size of your head. Everything is prepared in the adjacent kitchen, which perfumes the shop with the sweet smell of Amish-made baked goods. After just a few minutes in the shop, you’ll inevitably stumble up to the checkout counter laiden with an armload of treats. Just be sure that the cheese pies, cream bread, and local popcorn kernels are included in the bunch.
Reason enough to visit, Ohio’s Amish Country is dotted with local cheese shops. Located inside a charming European-inspired chalet, Guggisberg is one of our absolute favorites. Nationally renowned, Guggisberg is famous for their award-winning “Baby Swiss” cheese, developed to satisfy American palates with smaller holes and a creamier taste. Arrive hungry, as samples are plentiful, and it’s impossible to leave empty-handed. And if Swiss cheese isn’t your favorite, be sure to try the Amish Butter cheese.
Considering I’d eaten breakfast a mere hour before, I never thought I’d be able to finish my meal at Schlepp’s. But the food is just that darn good. This textbook ma-and-pa establishment in Belmont hits classic diner fare out of the park. Two customer favorites are the Hot Roast Beef Sandwich and the Liver and Onions, but I’m partial to the colossal Ham and Cheese Sandwich. Either way you slice it, do not walk out of the restaurant without trying Schlepp’s homemade bread.
Settle down at Der Dutchman and get ready for some homestyle Amish cooking. This is the spot in town to get your fix of Cornmeal Mush and Homemade Biscuits (breakfast), or Broasted Chicken and Dinner Rolls (lunch and dinner). The charming dining room overlooks the sprawling Goose Bottom Valley, so you can enjoy the view as you fill your plate at the generous buffet. Attached to the restaurant is the legendary Der Dutchman Bakery. Be a hero by bringing your loved ones some of their cream-stick donuts, or perfectly baked chocolate chip cookies, which I personally had to gift to my neighbor because I couldn’t stop eating.
Like any respectable small town, Granville, Ohio has a beloved ice cream shop. However, Whit’s is no ordinary shop, as it serves the best custard you’ll ever have the pleasure of devouring. Once you’ve tasted this glossy custard, nothing else will compare. The menu at Whit’s is simple and straightforward. There are two mainstay flavors (chocolate & vanilla), and a rotating Flavor of the Week. If you get the chance, be sure to try the extremely elusive (and extremely popular) Black Raspberry Chip. And just like any respectable custard shop, if the weather is nice, expect a line out the door.
Life moves pretty fast at Kennedy’s Bakery in Cambridge. From 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., the shop caters to a revolving door of customers getting their Kennedy’s Fix. The bakery has been serving the area (with a smile) since 1925. It’s hard to recommend anything specific, because everything is so delicious, so let your eyes and stomach order for you. If you’re stuck, you can’t go wrong with the Red Velvet donut. Yes: Red Velvet donut.
It’s time to start preparing a holiday feast that’ll keep the spirits of all your family high. While dishes like mashed potatoes and deviled eggs are a must, there are plenty of side choices that’ll give you a chance for something new while leaving room for the usual favorites. Anna Franklin takes us on a holiday side adventure featuring winter ingredient staples that’ll have your guests begging for the recipe!
Carrots are great in the cold weather, plus, they’re easy to store. But, they can also be a little bland when just steamed. Try something different by roasting carrots on a sheet pan in olive oil for that perfect texture. Then, add some zesty flavor with tahini, roasted pepitas, ground sumac, and lime juice.
Find your new favorite way to enjoy butter beans with a crispy outside shell and a creamy chèvre cheese accompaniment. This recipe is great for a last-minute addition to any meal, but it especially compliments a ham entrée.
Made of ingredients you probably have in your pantry at all times, these savory gems can bring a salty accent to poultry or a Seven Fishes main. These beauties are simple to make, too. Just take artichokes and dredge them in plenty of butter, panko bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese for a crunchy bit of deliciousness.
What makes this vegan-friendly side dish extraordinary is the chimichurri sauce you can make days ahead. This makes it so that you don’t have to rush the day of. The sauce’s well-balanced combination of herbs, heat, and acid transforms the staples of mushrooms and potatoes into something positively gourmet.
Here’s a side dish that’s savory, cheesy, and just plain delectable. These Roasted Pears make for an Instagram-worthy dish that your guests won’t be able to resist. And, don’t worry — if you have a blue cheese hater in the family, you can opt to use grated Manchego or Beemster Gouda with cumin seeds, instead.
Who doesn’t love the goodness of roasted garlic? This Cheesy Bread lets you scrape up every bit of gravy or sauce so you don’t miss a single drop. Not to mention, the roasted garlic can be added to bites of turkey or roast beef for extra flavor.
Story by Kylie Thomas / Recipes by Anna Franklin / Photography by Dave Bryce
We took a long voyage to the back of the pantry today, with side trips to the fridge and the freezer. Of course, we unearthed forgotten treasures…and made a beautiful meal for the family. The result is our Bean Stew.
Cooking from the Pantry: Bean Stew
We started with the spice cabinet, hit the vegetable crisper, and fished a leftover lamb shank out of the freezer. Bags of rice and beans were easy pickings, too. It was easy and fun. Sitting around the table for a weekday lunch has never been more satisfying.
This stew is here to comfort you after a hard day.
Ingredients
Scale
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
4 hot “green finger” chili peppers
2 yellow onions, large
4 carrots
1 can of tomatoes, 28 oz
4 cup dried beans (we used red beans)
1 lamb shank (substitute any soup bone or any fatty meat here)
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 qt water (more if necessary)
3 tbsp dried basil
3 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp Aleppo pepper
4 dried lemons (optional…some people like their salty tang and some do not)
Instructions
In an iron skillet, toast pumpkin, fennel, mustard, celery and fennel seeds. Set aside in a bowl when golden.
If your protein source is from leftovers, as ours was, no prep is necessary. If it is fresh, braise it now with a little oil over high heat, and set aside.
In a large soup pot, sautée at medium to high heat, peppers, onions and carrots until onions are translucent.
Add tomatoes, beans, basil, oregano, Aleppo pepper, bouillon, lemons, and water. Stir until well combined. Add your protein. Lower the heat to simmer. Cook covered for 45 minutes or until beans are tender.
